Ready to Take Off

Each season draws four airports with real snow and ice in winter, all within A320 range of each other. As a ground handler you sell turnarounds and de-icing; as an airline you fly four aircraft between them; as an airport you set charges and decide how much winter equipment to pay for. The other two roles are played by the game. Every morning you get a briefing with today's and tomorrow's forecast; every night the weather decides.

The forecast is right more often than the climate alone, but not always. Teams, rigs, schedules and charges are weekly contracts that change only on contract days (1, 8, 15, 22 and 29), so plan ahead. New to the jargon? Try the aviation glossary or Aviation 101.

Climates come from three winters of METAR reports (Iowa Environmental Mesonet, 2023–2026). Prices, demand and money are game numbers chosen for balance, not market data. Your season is not saved; share the link to replay the same airports and weather.